What produce/ingredients did you buy or obtain today? (2018-2022)
- Thread starter Morning Glory
- Start date
-
- Tags
- ingredients shopping
- Status
rascal
Forum GOD!
Thanks, that looks good.
rascal
Forum GOD!
I would never cook corned beef without making this sauce, it's really really good.
Russ
Where I live, which is warmer than Cincinnati, parsley and basil will not survive all year. In fact, flat parsley only makes if for about three months in the Spring. Thyme and sage are hit-and miss for winter survival. Oregano and rosemary make the whole year.
Being surrounded by ocean may help keep your temperatures more stable, like the Pacific ocean does for California.
CD
They don't survive here either - but I often buy growing basil and parsley in pots (supermarkets sell them) and have them on the kitchen windowsill. Then you can cut and use as needed and they will continue to grow for quite a long time, long as you water them (which is hardly a gardening chore if they are placed near the sink). Its much more economical than buying packets of cut herbs. Its also less wasteful.
Here is a price comparison:
Basil in pot Morrison's supermarket: £1 ($1.29)
Basil in packet Morrison's supermarket: 70p ($0.90)
Last edited:
Here's my price comparison. Prices based on Morrison's supermarket - not a budget supermarket but not high end. Calculated as near as possible to weights and volume of your shopping. Mine comes in about 25% cheaper, it seems. So where are the big differences in price?
Photo 1
Orange Juice £2 ($2.59)
Single cream £2.90 ($3.75)
Whole milk £0.79 ($1.02)
2% milk £2.00 ($2.59)
12 free range eggs £1.50 ($1.94)
Tin chopped toms £0.38 ($0.49)
Basil £0.70 ($0.91)
Wholewheat bread £1.00 ($1.29)
Total £11.27 ($14.58)
Photo 2
2 oranges £0.80 ($1.04)
Lemon £0.40 ($0.52)
3 apples £0.80 ($1.04)
Dates £1.70 ($2.20)
Mixed olives £2.50 ($3.23)
Organic mush £1.00 ($1.29)
Total £7.20 ($9.32)
Photo 3
Crispy potatoes £1.50 ($1.94)
Butter £1.60 ($2.07)
Bacon £2.50 ($3.23)
Kiebasa £2.50 ($3.23)
Onions £1.00 ($1.29)
Mozarella £1.80 ($2.33)
Cheddar £1.80 ($2.33)
Total £12.70 ($16.41)
Photo 4
Peanut butter £1.80 ($2.33)
Olive Oil (organic) £3.50 ($4.52)
Salsa £2.50 ($3.23)
Rice £1.00 ($1.29)
4 small wine £7.00 ($9.04)
Wine £5.00 ($6.46)
Large tin toms £0.76 ($0.98)
Salsa Restaurant £2.50 ($3.23)
Total £24.06 ($31.09)
Photo 5
Paper towels £2.00 ($2.58)
4 Cesar packs £3.00 ($3.88)
2 pet food £3.00 ($3.88)
20 Finish tabs £6.00 ($7.75)
Insoles £5.00 ($6.46)
Total £19.00 ($24.55)
Grand total £74.23 ($95.91)
Ok, here we go (note: I'm including prices before any coupon deductions):
Photo 1
Orange Juice $5.29
Single cream $1.99
Whole milk $1.49
2% milk $3.29
12 free range eggs $5.99
Tin chopped toms $1.00
Basil $1.99
Wholewheat bread $3.99
Photo 2
2 oranges $3.98
Lemon $0.99
3 apples $3.08
Dates $3.29
Mixed olives $4.99
Organic mush $2.50
Photo 3
Crispy potatoes $2.99
Butter $3.29
Bacon $4.99
Kielbasa $2.49
Onions $1.69
Mozarella $2.99
Cheddar $2.99
Photo 4
Peanut butter $3.59
Olive Oil (organic) $12.49
Salsa $1.99
Rice $1.99
4 small wine $6.99
Wine $11.99
Large tin toms $2.79
Salsa Restaurant $2.99
Photo 5
Paper towels $2.29
4 Cesar packs $3.56
2 pet food $11.98
20 Finish tabs $5.49
Insoles $3.09
Some notes: some of what I buy isn't the cheapest or even the most average; a lot of it is premium. The OJ, for example, isn't from one of the big national brands like Tropicana or Florida's Natural, it's Natalie's, which is much better quality. It's the same thing with the dog food loaves - those are human-consumable ingredients, all that stuff.
Eggs are also not an average brand. They're free-range, organic, and certified humane, so that drives the price up considerably. If I went all the way to the other end of the spectrum, I can get shop's-own white eggs for $0.99 a dozen.
The lemon was a little more because it's organic. I buy organic lemons because that don't have the waxy film on them that non-organic ones do, and I'm usually going to use the zest of a lemon. The oranges are actually Sumo mandarins, so they're considered a specialty item.
The butter is an American-made European-style butter. Kerrygold is $4.99 and supermarket butter is $2.99 for twice the amount of butter.
The peanut butter is all-natural, so it's just ground up peanuts, so that's a premium over the regular Jif/Skippy stuff. The olive oil is also considered a premium brand. I usually buy cheaper bottles, but I did have a $5 coupon for that.
Wine prices are all over the place. That wine was a $23 bottle that was on close-out. I usually get stuff that's at the $10 price point, though we can certainly get $6 (and less!) wines here.
The large tomatoes are Muir Glen, which is another above average brand, about the best I can get before I move up to imported Italian ones.
Now, in that other photo, where I got 10% as much food and paid nearly half as much in cost...that little melon alone cost me $12, because it was a fancy little French super sweet cantaloupe! It was expensive, but it was pretty tasty, too!
MypinchofItaly
Forum GOD!
- Joined
- 17 Feb 2017
- Local time
- 6:56 AM
- Messages
- 8,795
- Location
- Milano, Italy
- Website
- mypinchofitaly.co.uk
Buttermilk! I’ve found it at NaturaSi- bio supermarket
Not sure when I’ll use it, I’m thinking during weekend and surely before 25/02
Not sure when I’ll use it, I’m thinking during weekend and surely before 25/02
Since we buy most of our food from the same store (Kroger), I could do a comparion based on geography, but I'm pretty lazy. I do know I buy the same Simple Truth Organic 2% milk, and pay the same price for it. Other than some of those premium items you mentioned, nothing else jumps out at me.
CD
I do buy living herbs from time to time if I am making something big, like a large pot of tomato sauce. If I buy it to keep on hand, I'll most certainly go out of town on business and it dies while I'm gone. My outdoor gardens are watered on a timer.
CD
I bought buttermilk this weekend, mainly to make some creme fraiche. No problem here finding buttermilk (both low and full fat versions), it's the non-UHT cream that I have to search out.
I can't wait to see what you do with it. One of my favorites is this basic buttermilk salad dressing:
Creamy Peppercorn Dressing Recipe
Just substitute the buttermilk for the milk.
- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 4:56 PM
- Messages
- 19,583
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
I never had any issues using unopened buttermilk weeks after it's best before date. In fact with my Irish Soda Bread recipe, it actually rose better if the buttermilk was several weeks past it's best before date and the lid taught and pushing upwards.
MypinchofItaly
Forum GOD!
- Joined
- 17 Feb 2017
- Local time
- 6:56 AM
- Messages
- 8,795
- Location
- Milano, Italy
- Website
- mypinchofitaly.co.uk
Thanks. I’m new in this, thus every info is welcome.
Last edited:
- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 4:56 PM
- Messages
- 19,583
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
I've always taken best before dates with a decent pinch of salt (but I've never eaten meat or fish only dairy and eggs (and dairy stopped 10 years ago completely) ). However having lived completely on private water all my life (so untreated water) and lived outside for a lot of that time, thus hygiene not always A1 or even E5, i and my hubby have a pretty tolerant gut! (Hubby wasn't always like that, it's taken time and a lot of patience plus carrying of sterilizing tablets for water for him when out in the wilds, me I can and always have been able to drink pretty much anything fresh).
- Status